At thirty-one, Arlene Dickinson found herself stranded. Recently divorced, she had only a high school diploma, no savings and no clue how she was going to feed four young children. But just one year later, she was a partner in Venture Communications. Ten years on, she was CEO, poised to grow the business into one of Canada's largest independently owned marketing firms. Today, as a co-star of the CBC hit television show Dragons' Den, she is one of the country's most sought-after female entrepreneurs.
In Persuasion, Dickinson blends her own frank stories with compelling social science, and explains how to persuade both in the boardroom and in everyday life. She emphasizes the crucial importance of a particular kind of listening, and teaches how to get people to buy into your ideas, how to attract followers and deal with naysayers, how to perfect the art of storytelling, how to turn mistakes to your advantage, and how to seize opportunities where others see only roadblocks.
In All In, Dickinson tells the truth about the dangers of believing your own hype and listening to naysayers—and ignoring naysayers, too. Dickinson explains why the need for control is a double-edged sword that can get a business off the ground, but then cause it to stall. All In opens a new level of dialogue in the entrepreneurial community, bringing often unspoken truths into the light and showing readers all the ways they can expect to be tested in their new endeavours. Packed with Dickinson's own hard-won lessons, and those of other successful entrepreneurs, All In is for every small business owner who's ever felt like they're the only one and every coffee-break dreamer wondering if they can hack it.